


110. hush

by fall_into_life



Series: 100 Prompts Table 30-B [10]
Category: RWBY
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, Gen, One-Sided Attraction
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-11-18
Updated: 2018-11-18
Packaged: 2019-08-25 12:52:17
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 903
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16661447
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/fall_into_life/pseuds/fall_into_life
Summary: Blake walks in on Weiss singing.





	110. hush

When Blake hears singing coming from Weiss' apartment, she thinks it's recorded music.

She lets herself in, turns the corner, and stops.

Intellectually, she knew Weiss was a trained singer. There are a few grainy videos online that Blake never bothered to watch through, just noted and skipped. She did note that Weiss stopped singing in public at some point, and wondered, but it was none of her business then and hasn't come up since.

Now, though she knows she should announce her presence, she can't help but watch for a moment. Blake knows and has known that Weiss is very pretty. It isn't until now that she sees Weiss as _beautiful_. She's focused, intent, eyes closed and form held taught. If Blake didn't know better, she'd say Weiss was preparing this piece for performance, working through the nuances, the emotion, pouring over every note and breath. 

When she song ends, Blake clears her throat.

Weiss whirls, her hand going for a drawer that Blake thinks probably has a weapon in it. She's not going to imagine what kind, or what would have happened if Weiss hadn't realized who she was in time.

"I'm going to guess," Blake says, adrenaline sharp, "that I should have rung the bell first."

Weiss flushes a deep red, snatching up her phone and turning on the screen. She grimaces, setting it back down. "I apologize. I lost track of time."

Ruby sent Blake over to get a reference book that she needed for some project that she couldn't leave alone for a moment. She's told Blake more than once what she's working on, but at some point, despite her best intentions, Blake's eyes glaze over when Ruby tries to tell her what's going on. It's engineering something or other.

Weiss sweeps past Blake, her floral perfume tangling in Blake's nostrils. "Come on, I know what she needs."

They don't talk about it. Weiss calls Ruby, finds the book she was looking for.

"Actually, Ruby, hold on a moment." Weiss mutes her end of the call, and turns to Blake. "Would you like to stay for tea?"

Blake startles, blinking. They've shared space many times, and they message regularly, but the time they spend together in person always has a purpose, and is usually because of Ruby, not independently seeking one another's company. It sounds... nice. Blake nods.

"I'll have her back to you within a few hours." Whatever Ruby says in return has Weiss rolling her eyes fondly. "You do know how to share, Ruby Rose."

Ah. She's deliberately being a brat, then. If she were serious, Weiss would have a different tone entirely.

They say goodbye, and Weiss hands her the book before leading the way into her kitchen.

As soon as they enter, Weiss pulls a box of tea out of the cabinet, and sets the electric kettle to boil.

Once there's nothing to do but wait, the pressure of not talking about it weighs on them both. Blake was very clearly not supposed to see or hear that. If Weiss were open about her singing, she would still be performing or at least discussing it in friendly conversation. Blake has heard not a single word about it, and she suspects Ruby hasn't either. That makes it, if not quite a secret - at least not any more - at least something private.

"When I took my first gender studies class, the professor made a speech." Blake takes a deep breath. "She said that Psychology majors and Gender Studies majors had something in common: they both joined because they had a question. With Psychology Majors, it was because they wanted to know why someone was broken. Themselves, or someone they loved."

Weiss waits her out, eyes patient. 

"With Gender Studies," Blake says, "it was because they wanted to know why they didn't fit. Or where they fit. You don't get straight, cisgendered men taking Gender Studies."

"And you're...?" Weiss clearly doesn't want to label her, but Blake thinks she knows what answer the other woman thinks she's going to get.

"Bisexual," Blake says easily, "but also... transgender."

Weiss' eyes widen. "You were...?"

Blake shakes her head, fairly certain she knows what Weiss is asking. "How I am now is just how my biology worked out." She wonders, briefly, if Ruby and Weiss have had a similar discussion, before deciding it's none of her business. "And how I am... would have many people saying I'm not a woman."

That's it. That's their breaking point-- or at least the latest one. If Weiss reacts badly to this, Blake will politely excuse herself and quietly have nothing to do with her. She'll nudge Ruby into having that talk with her, and hope that it's just Blake she can't stand. 

"The world is full of idiots," Weiss says, without missing a beat. "You are how you say you are."

Perhaps in a feel-good novel they'd embrace, but it feels more meaningful to Blake that Weiss allows her the quiet, scrolling through the notifications on her phone while Blake collects herself. She cares more about Weiss' opinion than she thought, if the spectre of her rejection loomed this large.

They exist in companionable silence, sitting in Weiss' kitchen, until the tea is gone and it's time for Blake to bring Ruby the book.

They do hug at the door, and Blake leaves with a light buzz that she doesn't examine too closely.


End file.
